The instructor

Karen Schulz-Harmon is an avid chamber musician, orchestral player and teacher. She enjoys recording and collaborating with various instrumentalists as well as playing all types of music. Karen performs with the Portland Opera, Oregon Symphony, Orchestra Next, Eugene Symphony and Cellotropes, a cello quartet she co-founded. She coaches cello sectionals and chamber music in local schools, sectionals for the Metropolitan Youth Symphony as well as gives masterclasses in Portland and Seattle. In May of 2024 Karen was the guest soloist with the Beaverton Symphony Orchestra, performing Schumann’s Cello Concerto in A minor.

Over a period spanning several years Karen spent two months in Europe, which included observing the teaching of Robert Nagy, one of the principal cellists in the Vienna Philharmonic. During this time, she also had the opportunity to interact with the private teachers and chamber music coaches at the Südsteirische Musiktage Festival in Austria founded by Wolfgang Klos. While in Chicago, Karen performed with the Chicago Philharmonic, Chicago Bach Ensemble, Chicago Opera Theater and the Chicago Trio. Karen was a member of the faculty at the Chicago Academy for the Arts (CAA) for eight years. She also coached chamber music for over ten years for the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras Program.

In the summer of 2012 Karen was selected to attend the National Summer Cello Institute. While there she had the honor to work with cellists Richard Aaron, Timothy Eddy, Ralph Kirshbaum and Uri Vardi. She also participated in an enlightening Feldenkrais workshop with Hagit Vardi.

Karen attended Northern Illinois University at the invitation of cellist Marc Johnson and was privileged to work with all the members of the Vermeer String Quartet. She graduated in 2005 with a Masters of Music degree in Cello Performance. Karen performs with an 1840 Jacob Fendt cello.

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